PENINSULA BIBLE CHURCH CUPERTINO CONQUERING THE WILD BEAST OF IMMORALITY Catalog No. 908 Ephesians 5:3-14 SERIES: THE RESTORATION OF MANKIND Fifteenth Message Brian Morgan August 22, 1993

My family and I have just returned from a week’s vacation in Artemis of Ephesus was a strangely ornamented female fig- Lake Tahoe, which we shared with our friends the Hanneman’s. ure, shrine and basket on head, a veil decorated with beasts, On our last evening there we decided to visit a casino together. long necklaces, embroidered sleeves, legs sheathed with im- Driving to Stateline we could see in the distance the bright lights paneled animals, and with multiple breasts, or as some sug- of the casinos that allure the unwary with dreams of glamour gest, an apron covered with clusters of grapes or dates, sign and riches. Soon we found ourselves in bumper to bumper traf- and symbol of Artemis; role as the nourishing spirit of na- fic. When we got to the casino at Harrah’s, there was hardly a ture…Around the great shrine, to which worshipers and tour- parking space available. At last we made our way inside the pal- ist poured from far and near, tradesmen and hucksters found ace-like hotel. The basement, where children get to play video a living, supplying visitors with food and lodging, dedicatory games while their parents gamble upstairs, was no palace, how- offerings, and the silver souvenir models of the shrine that the ever; it looked rather dilapidated. guild of Demetrius was most interested in making and selling. The temple was also a treasury and a bank, in which private As we made our way upstairs we could hear the din of the slot individuals, kings, and cities made deposits. Coins of Ephesus machines and the occasional cheer when the dice came up or sometimes show a date palm, sacred to Artemis, and the sym- someone cashed in on a jackpot. We made our way past people bol of the goddess’ beneficent activity. packed shoulder to shoulder, some of them glassy-eyed, drinks in hand, staring blankly. We felt like cattle being herded into a Into this city then, midway through the first century A.D., pen. By one of the roulette tables I overheard a young man, prob- came the apostle Paul. He set up shop in the Hall of Tyrnannus, ably in his early twenties, making a ritual vow as he walked to and for a period of two and a half years there preached the gos- the ATM machine: “Just one more withdrawal and I’m done,” he pel of the risen Christ. His message met with astounding success. promised himself. The Baccarat tables, reserved for the very rich, Even repentant magicians were converted. They actually had a couldn’t even be approached without a month’s wages in hand. book burning, and about one-half million dollars worth of magic books went up in smoke. Demetrius, the silversmith, fearing that For those who didn't feel like gambling, a suggestive billboard the entire guild was in jeopardy, organized a riot to throw Paul advertised a cabaret (“Beyond Bare Essence”) complete with out of the city (Acts 19). The apostle left at last, but not before a showgirls. In another area, fanciers of the sporting life gathered band of Christians, loosely organized in house churches, had to gamble underneath multiple TV screens showing sporting been formed in the very shadow of the temple and tables of the events. The odds-makers sat nearby, calling out odds on football idol merchants. games and horse racing. In a corner I spied a young girl in tears as she recounted her disgust with her boyfriend to what ap- Ten years later, the apostle wrote to these Ephesian Christians peared to be a male sympathetic ear, but on a second look, the asking them to make four commitments that would enable them man seemed more like another male beast stalking his evening to conquer what I call the wild beast of immorality. We find these prey. After about 45 minutes we had had our fill. My eyes were commitments set out in chapter 5 of Paul’s letter to the Ephe- blurred, my mind jaded, my clothes grimy. The parking lot out- sians, starting at verse 3, where he begins by asking the Chris- side was more crowded than ever. As we left, I heard a man say, tians to be pure in both conduct and speech. “What am I offered for this parking spot?” Outside I thought about a pastor friend who had lived in Lake I. Commitment to Sexual Purity (5:3-4) Tahoe for several years. How could anyone make an impact in a But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be city whose economy was based on immorality and greed? I won- named among you, as is proper among saints; and there dered. Then I remembered that in A.D. 52, a rather unimpressive- must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which looking Jew, a tent-maker by trade, made his way into just such a are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. city in Asia Minor. Ephesus lay at the mouth of the Cayster River valley, and was thus the gateway to the interior of eastern Asia (a) Purity In Conduct Minor. The Greeks called such a colony an emporion, or “way in,” There are two elements to this first commitment. First, the act. since through it all the trade and resources of the world outside The word immorality (porneia) comes from the verb “to sell.” We could be tapped. The city, which had excellent harbor facilities, get our term pornography from this word. Literally, it meant grew rapidly as a commercial port. Later the Romans developed “harlot for hire, prostitution or fornication”; metaphorically, it it, making it the seat of the provincial government. They called it was associated with idolatry. This word refers to all sex that is “The Landing Place.” engaged in outside the bonds of marriage; in other words, the act In the century before Christ, the area was hit with a severe eco- of selling out cheaply something that has infinite value. nomic depression. To survive, the city turned from trade to tour- Second, the effect of immorality is “impurity” (uncleanness). ism. On the San Francisco waterfront area, the old canneries have This word is used in Classical Greek for the foulness that ema- today been transformed into restaurants and tourist shops, and a nates from a wound or sore. Sexual sins create a weight of guilt, visit to the wharfs is a must for tourists. In the same way, a visit uncleanness and defilement that makes one feel ashamed. to the temple of Artemis was a must for tourists in the ancient city of Ephesus. Alexander the Great had contributed liberally to And third, the drive. “Greed” (covetousness) literally means the new temple in the city, making it a shrine of unrivaled splen- “a desire to have more because one is arrogant.” In Classical dor. It was run by a fertility cult, complete with temple prosti- Greek, the word was used of material greed. Due to their arro- tutes. Here is what one commentator, E. M. Blaiklock, has written gant presumption, some wanted to have more than their share, to concerning the cult: go beyond the bounds. Here, the word is applied to sex. Man, in his arrogance and presumption, wants to have more than his So Paul’s first word to Christians is, commit yourselves to pur- due. Lust is a wild beast with an insatiable appetite that plagues ity in your actions. mankind. A second thing is necessary. I would like to offer four practical suggestions here for how Christians should live today in light of the immorality of our (b) Purity in Speech own times. First, a word to single men. How far do you think and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jest- you are permitted to go in your relationships with women and ing, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. still remain pure? We find the answer to this question in Paul’s letter to Timothy: Treat “the younger women as sisters in all puri- We must put off three things: Filthiness, which is shameful, ty,” says Paul (1 Tim. 5:2). Women are holy, and men should base, lewd conduct, and brash sexual gestures. Likewise, we treat them as they would their own sisters. must put away foolish or silly talk. Do not treat sex lightly. Do not make jokes about it or become involved in sexual innuendo In like manner, the bride in the Song of Songs asks the young at work. And do not partake in coarse jesting. Being witty and virgins to take a similar oath: facetious, skilled at giving quick, witty answers, rapidly turning phrases and circumstances into double meanings, was an hon- “I cause you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, ored attribute in Greek society. Comedians make millions of dol- By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, lars doing this today, but these things are not fitting for Chris- That you not arouse or awaken (this kind of) love tians. Jokes and witty retorts are merely defense mechanisms to Until it pleases” (2:7). keep people at arm’s length. In summary, Christians must put off The metaphor of the gazelles and the hinds seems to be hint- any speech that defiles, devalues or is a defense mechanism, un- ing that sexual love, once it is aroused, takes off, speedily runs der the guise of humor, to keep people at a distance. out of control, and frequently results in sexual intercourse. This is What should we do in matters pertaining to sexuality? Paul why the bride urges the daughters of Jerusalem to “swear” — a says we should respond by “giving of thanks.” Prayer and praise serious charge. are the answers to lust. Give thanks for the beauty you see So the biblical admonition to young men and women is not to around you and pray for the other person. This will help defeat arouse or awaken this kind of sexual desire before marriage. lust. Second, I would say that young women need to be aware that Purity in actions and speech, therefore, is the first commitment men are easily aroused by what they see, therefore caution is nec- that Paul sought from the Ephesians. In the Old Testament, essary in choice of dress, deportment, etc. Women, on the other Noah’s sons, Shem and Japheth, discovered their father drunk hand, are aroused by touch and closeness. Again, quoting from and naked once. Their other brother, Ham, was making light of the Song of Songs, the bride says: the situation, but the two brothers took a cloak and, walking backwards into their father’s presence, covered him in his naked- “I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; ness lest they be defiled. In a day when some people are seeking Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace” (8:10). every opportunity to unclothe each other, Christians should be Young women need to be taught to cover themselves in order guarding, protecting and sanctifying others, making them feel to protect their purity. Here, the bride says she made her breasts holy and dignified. like towers (a point of defense on the city wall), then they would Here is the second commitment that Paul sought. be considered beautiful in the eyes of men. The third exhortation is that men need to be vulnerable and II. Commitment to the Truth (5:5-7) honest with each other. Sexual enticement has been escalating at For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure an alarming rate during the last decade. But we need not be person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheri- afraid to admit that we struggle with temptation toward sexual tance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive fantasy or impurity. We should admit one other thing: we can’t you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath survive this kind of temptation alone. We need help. Let us there- of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. fore be vulnerable with each other and stop concealing our strug- gles. That is the devil’s strategy to make us feel we’re the only (a) Know That This Area Determines Everything Else ones who struggle in this respect. But no one is exempt. If men “You certainly know,” Paul is saying here, that a fornicator or share their struggles with their brothers, even with their wives, unclean or covetous one who is an idolater, has no share in the they won’t be condemned, but loved. When we’re open and hon- kingdom of God. This doesn’t mean that those who fall into sexu- est with each other, the devil has no foothold. On a personal lev- al sin and then repent lose their salvation. What it does mean is el, one brother actually telephones me weekly to help me check that sexuality and idolatry are closely linked. Whatever we wor- out my thought life, because he knows I can’t make it alone. No ship affects our body, and what we do with the body affects the one can. soul. You can’t sleep with an idol at night and expect to be pure Finally, a word to all: pre-determine your ethics. Lust is persis- during the day. If you try to, eventually the idol will takes pos- tent, therefore assume you’re going to be tempted. Chuck Swin- session of your whole person. doll had this to say about the perversity of lust: In Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,’ Its alluring voice can infiltrate the most intelligent mind and the kindly, benevolent doctor began tampering with a magical cause its victim to believe its lies and respond to its appeal. brew that transformed his person and released all the diabolical And beware, it never gives up…it never runs out of ideas. Bolt evil in him so that he became the tyrannical, hideous Mr. Hyde your front door and it’ll rattle the bedroom window, crawl who terrorized the streets of London at night. As he drank the into the living room through the TV screen, or wink at you out potion, in time he became more and more addicted to it. At last, of a magazine in the den. one night as he sat debating with himself whether or not he would drink his magical brew, to his horror he turned into Mr. You must assume you’re going to be tempted — when you Hyde, without even drinking the potion. Evil had triumphed travel, at work, during leisure time — so predetermine your eth- over him and destroyed him. ics. Travel in twos, for instance. Turn off the cable TV before you enter your hotel room. Be especially watchful when you’re tired, Alexander Pope caught this syndrome beautifully in these lonely, or depressed. These are times when you may be vulnera- lines, ble to fantasizing. Vice is a monster of so frightful mean As to be hated needs but to be seen, the pain of experience, but that we might learn by the light of his But seen too oft too familiar that face Word. As we do so we will have renewed minds and thus will be We must first endure, then pity, then embrace. able to test life at its deepest levels, “…proving what is pleasing to the Lord,” says Paul. This requires the hard work of observa- Television, unfortunately, has brought us to this place today. tion, thinking and meditating. Christians can’t afford to have Daily we are subjected to all kinds of vices and evils on our TV lazy minds, passively drifting along with the tide. What we need screens. Adultery used to be a hateful thing, but because we have is to have renewed minds and holy affections. grown accustomed to adulterous situations on television, we have learned to endure it. It is the same with homosexuality. We So the apostle calls Christians to commit themselves to purity, have learned to first endure it, then pity it, and finally embrace it truth, and to love. as a legitimate lifestyle. But there is one final thing necessary to defeat the beast of im- (b) Know That It Will Come Under Attack morality. For this reason, because the stakes are high, Paul knew that his teaching would come under attack by false teachers. But Chris- IV. Commitment To Evangelism (5:11-14) tians should not be deceived by empty words. The apostle com- And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, ments, “…because of these things the wrath of God comes on the but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to sons of disobedience.” And God’s wrath is not something that speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all will happen sometime in the future, it is an ongoing phenome- things become visible when they are exposed by the light, non. Our schools today educate children about sexually transmit- for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it ted diseases, yet at the same time some authorities are inviting says, teens to be open about their sexuality and to experiment with it. “Safe sex” (through the use of condoms) is what they call the ‘Awake sleeper, bridge between these two notions. But “safe sex” is a myth. Phys- And rise from the dead, ically, so-called “safe sex” has a 16% failure rate, but emotionally, And Christ will shine on you.’ pre-marital sex has a 100% failure rate. But we never hear this (a) Don’t Hide In The Dark, Expose With The Light statistic quoted, do we? No one talks about the shame and the emotional heartache, brought on by experimenting with sex, that Some Christians feel so threatened by the immorality preva- is destroying so many of our young people. lent all around them that they are tempted to take off and look for a wholesome environment where they can build a secure fam- But, says Paul, God will judge. No civilization can last in im- ily life. But Paul has a different perspective. First, there is no morality. Ephesus, which had the full patronage of five Roman place to hide. You will find immorality wherever you go. A emperors subsidizing its glory, had to learn this bitter lesson. glance at history proves that. And secondly, instead of being E.M. Blaiklock comments: “Under Claudius in the middle of the threatened by the fact of sexual immorality, Paul sees this phe- 1st century and under Trajan at the beginning of the 2nd, the nomenon as an open door for evangelism. great theatre was remodeled. Under Claudius the monumental Marble street was built. Nero gave Ephesus a stadium. Domitian Why is this? It is because sexual immorality destroys its vic- widened and beautified the great central boulevard.” Because it tims. Think of the terrible plague of AIDS. Think on the fact that was built in immorality, however, Ephesus became a heap of rub- one out of seven teenagers already has a sexually transmitted dis- ble following a Gothic raid in AD 263. No family, no city, no na- ease. The toll resulting from sexual abuse creates such an intense tion will stand in immorality, because God will judge. level of emotional and physical pain that people are ready to quit playing games and respond to the truth of the gospel. Christians Christians, says the apostle, need to be committed to sexual are the light of the world. Who is going to tell people how to be purity and to truth. truly human and why God created them if we don’t? And let us There is a third thing. not witness like self-righteous prigs, holding up signs and rudely confronting people. Let us instead be like Jesus — personal, inti- III. Commitment To Love (5:8-10) mate, understanding, and compassionate. We shouldn’t leave non-believers with the impression that their ethics offend us, but Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were for- rather that we grieve for them because they aren’t experiencing merly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as life as God designed it to be lived. children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all good- So expose everything with the light — and preach Christ. If ness and righteousness and truth), proving what is pleasing you do these things, there is a side benefit for you: it will foster to the Lord. your own purity. At Stanford University, I joined a fraternity that (a) Enjoying the Fruits of Proper Sexuality did not have one Christian member, but I found it rather easy to overcome sexual temptation in our pagan frat house, because I Promoting abstinence (“Just say no!”) is not enough to defeat led a Bible study there. This fact was so well known that they the wild beast of lust and immorality. Living healthy, attractive, even took my initials and renamed me “Bible Monster”! With robust lives is the answer. As Christians, we need to cultivate that label pinned on me, there was no way I could browse goodness, righteousness and truth. “Goodness” here refers to through the sex magazines that were lying around. As a marked making a proper use of these things instead of perverting them. man in that pagan environment I felt protected. A passive, secre- As far as sex is concerned, Tom Cruise has nothing to teach the tive Christian, on the other hand, is much more prone to indulge Christian! Have you ever thought about this? I have. Christians in what is going on around him. need not be ashamed of the biblical view of sex. Actually, they are the ones who truly know how to handle sex. When things are thus exposed to the light, there is a great promise awaiting. “Righteousness” refers to doing right by another person; and truth (its Hebrew synonym is “faithfulness”) speaks of not break- (b) Knowing The Promise Of The Light ing covenants of fidelity, but promoting faithfulness among But all things become visible when they are exposed by the couples. light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this (b) With a Renewed Mind and Holy Affections reason it says, Paul encourages this commitment to goodness, ”proving what ‘Awake sleeper, is pleasing to the Lord.” God’s intent is not to have us learn by And rise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.’ (5:13-14) The wild beast of lust can never tamed by man, but it can be transcended by the love of the Lion of Judah. Light at first exposes. Then after time it gives off heat. Heat turns to flame, and flame consumes and purifies all that is im- In appreciation to God who alone conquers the wild beast of pure, transforming it into light. You can’t remain in the light and immorality, I want to close by reading wrote a poem that I wrote not have it transform you. last evening: George MacDonald’s words bear eloquent testimony to this: [God] is a consuming fire, that only that which cannot be con- Beauty and the Beast sumed may stand forth eternal. It is the nature of God, so terri- bly pure that it destroys all that is not pure as fire…He will What beast is this, have purity. It is not that the fire will burn us if we do not Garbed in light worship thus; but that the fire will burn us until we worship Whose appetite thus; yea, will go on burning within us after all that is foreign Craves the soul of man? to it has yielded to its force. No longer with pain consuming, but as the highest consciousness of life, the presence of God. He stalks his victims with untold pleasures, Concluding this passage on conquering immorality, the apos- First bite excites and delights, tle quotes from Isaiah 60. There was a time when I thought that Then wounds and bleeds and festers these words formed the Christian’s appeal to the non-Christian With perverted appetites. world, but then I discovered these verses were originally ad- dressed to Israel, the people of God: His seducing fangs sink into the naive Reducing their innocence, truth and purity “Arise, shine; for you light has come, To figments of distant childhood dreams And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Now shattered. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; Then he retreats into the darkness, But the LORD will rise upon you, His work is done, for every wounded prey And His glory will appear upon you. Repeats his craft, enhancing it more And nations will come to your light, On those yet born. And kings to the brightness of your rising.” What can man do “Lift up your eyes round about, and see; Strangled by the beast They all gather together, they come to you. But weep, shackled in his shame, Your sons will come from afar, His sterile vows shown vain? And your daughters will be carried in the arms. Then you will see and be radiant, What beast is this who roars And your heart will thrill and rejoice.” (60:1-5a) Upon the horizon seen Here in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul addresses this word Whose appetite craves the souls of men from Isaiah to the church. Let us have done with lesser things. And walks in light unseen? Let us rise up, climb out of our graves, and gaze upon our mag- nificent Christ, “whose eyes are like a flame of fire.” As we allow He stalks his prey with focused eye his gaze to penetrate and purify us, his holiness will penetrate His first bite wounds and bleeds, deep inside our very beings; then the world will come to us like a Til a premature death foretold, flood, seeking to learn about the Savior. Takes us to thy grave.

Yet stunned and fallen, Our sexual drive is actually a token of our deeper, spiritual He bids us awake, arise to our delight, longings: we long to be possessed and owned and loved by God And with enlightened eyes himself. Sexual desires, therefore, are truly satisfied only in We behold Judah’s Lion ablaze in light. Christ. When he shines on us, casting his burning, flaming brightness about us, out of the watching world will spring an in- He cries, “Live my child and gaze on Me, ternational family of Christians. There is no thrill, no joy greater Before you victory stands, with shining train. than that. I witnessed the birth of my first-born son David, and as Look to the horizon, and see fertility, I saw him cradled in my wife’s arms, a sense of holiness over- Countless faces of your children purged of pain.” came me. I remember thinking that romantic love was never as thrilling as being present at the birth of a newborn. In the same O what can man do but weep with joy way, the greater purpose of sexuality is to witness to the miracle For one vow made and kept of new life in Christ. As we involve ourselves in this magnificent To restore childhood longings, work, we will understand why God said to the prophet Isaiah, For a greater goodness than man had ever dreamt. “Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. Blessed be the Lamb of God. Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice!” © 1993 Peninsula Bible Church/Cupertino

This message from Scripture was preached at Peninsula Bible Church/Cupertino, on Sunday, August 22nd, 1993. PBC/Cupertino is located at 10601 North Blaney Ave., Cupertino CA 95014. Offices: 10062 Miller Ave., Suite 108, Cupertino CA 95014. Telephone (408) 366 6690.